Early Governors' Papers

To his Excellency Sam. Houston Governor of the State of Tennessee

The undersigned Citizens of Maury and Bedford Counties in the State of Tennessee respectfully Petition the Governor to grant a Pardon to William Fields, who has been tried and Convicted of Manslaughter under the following Circumstances. In the month of March 1820 the said William Fields chastised a negro man named Peter Whom he had hired and who died in six days after the infliction of the Chastisement. The death of the Negro it was presumed was the consequence of the punishment and upon this presumption Fields was arrested with two Others Charged with being accessaries, was tried and convicted and the supposed accessaries were acquitted. The Offence was Committed in Maury County and a bill of Indictment found there against him in January 1821, and the Cause was afterwards removed to Shelbyville in Bedford County, Where the Conviction was had in December 1822. Fields prayed for and obtained an appeal to the Supreme Court Where from various Causes, but principally from the shifting condition of the Judiciary department Of the State, the Case had been suspended until the present time and remains still undecided. These petitioners are influenced in this their petition by no trivial and unsubstantial reasons. They do not insist that the unhappy situation of Fields which is necessarily consequent upon so long a suspension of a Case of such vast importance to him, gives him any legal Claim to a pardon, however much it might enter into a merely moral consideration of the subject. The main fact upon which they rest their hopes in this application for Executive Clemency is that a majority of the Jury who rendered the verdict were in favor of an entire accquital of the prisoner from the double motion of an aversion to a disagreement among the Jury, and a belief that the evidence in the case would perhaps authorize a verdict of manslaughter. To this fact the Jury men themseves who composed that Majority are willing to testify by subscribing their names to this petition. It is confidently believed and hoped, that the Governor will from this view of the case consider Mr. Fields entitled to a pardon, especially as the motives of the Jury men are acknowledged and cannot be contradicted. In addition these petitioners respectfully represent to the Governor that Fields has undoubted testimonials of high and fair standing in North-Carolina Where he resided before he removed to this State. These evidences of good standing have been strengthened and confirmed by his department during his residence in this State and in the vicinity of these petitioners, which by the act of signing this petitiion is Cheerfully Certified. Under these Circumstances with a full knowledge of the general impropiety and ill success of similar applications, these petitioners respectfully hope that the Governor will grant the pardon asked for and will agree with them in opinion, that the ends of public Justice will in no degree be thwarted by the special application to this Case of that Clemency which is wisely confided to the Executive branch of the government.

Theophilus Hamilton Jury man Halton Hamelton Jury man Joseph Neil Juryman John Stephens - Jury Thos S Parsons Jurey man Nathan Frizel Jureyman Saml McCuistion jury Thos McCuistion Jurey man Edmund Green Juror john Rughney juror James [page cut off, name on page 2] Juror Thomas Younger William Green Hugh McClelan James McClelan James Patterson Wm Semmons Jos Hamilton [Gage?] Hamelton]] william handley James Davis Henry. S. Davis Thomas [Cocker?] William marcum [page cut off, name on page 2] Joseph [Mornie?] John Cook wiliam Ray Georg [B?] Slarber William H. hicks John T. Neil Jacob B. Anderson Joseph Rodgers Samuel Little Benjamin Donman William Holley James Parson John Stephenson Gran T [Nellers?] [page cut off, name on page 2]

[Preu?] Worley John lawson William Lewis John Slipe William M [?] Alexander Caplin Spencer Mitchell Jnr Rily Baker George Cooley James Baker Daniel Wilson Joel [Mcdonall?] Millford Cory Richard Brag Henderson Warler John Largent Robert S Mitchell Andrew J Hindon Littliton Parish Norman Mayborn James Keesee Lewis Phillips

John Malone Rhodain Lewis William [young?] Jesse Lawson Levi Wood Thomas [Tyner?] William Green Wiley B Haston Anahabel Kerby Andrew Perkin William L Mitchel Asa fuascer Pinton [Plumber?] John Bryan Thomas Wilson Thomas J Bryan [? ?] Thomas Lyon Jesse L Holland James H Doyle

State of Tennessee white county

We the undersigned do certify-. past that it is the general wish so far as our knowledge extends of the citizens of this county that Broils should be released from imprisonment in the case, in which he was convict for the stabbing of Matthew G Moore we further say that we beleave we have a knowledge of the opinion of a large majority in the county - Benjamin Willhite Elisha Nelson James [M^ccann?] Duke A. Beadles [Mr?] William Green George Long John Mason Jeremiah Willhite Reuben Willhite Solomon Willhit Jonathan H Thomas Solomon Duncan Marshal Duncan Joel Yeagar Dennis Weaver John W Dearing Solomon Yeager Jnr Surrel Hallford Sims Dearing John F Price

We the undersigned do certify that Matthew G Moore the prosecutor and the person stabbed is a bad character that he is considered a quarrelsome man in his neighbourhood we also certify that it is reported that he has got some bastard children by his sisters daughter

Joel Yeagar

Dennis Weaver Solomon Yeager Jnr Surrel Hallford Sims Dearing Duke A. Beadles William Green George Long Gerbey Massey Thomas Scott John Mason Jeremiah Willhite Reuben Willhite Solomon Willhite Benjamin Willhite John Scott William Brown Josiah Turner

We do certify that a second trial for damages in the same case it was proved on the trial that Moore had acknowledged that he had his holt on Broils and would have choaked him to death or could and would have killed him but for Broils stabbing of him

Joel Yeagar Dennis Weaver Sims Dearing Duke A. Beadles William Green Alfred G. Beadles Thomas Scott

we do certify that Brils the deft is a good peaceble orderly young man that his mother is a widow woman and has a large Family that George is very industrious and is the main support of the family for which he is entited to much credit and [?] by his neighbours

James [M^ccann?] Elisha Nelson Duke A. Beadles William Green George Long Gerbey Massey Alfred G. Beadles Thomas Scott John Scott Jonathon H. Thomas William [?] James Thomas Samuel Thomas Wm Brown Josiah Turner Joel Yeagar Dennis Weaver John W Dearing Solomon Yeager Jnr Surrel Halford Sims Dearing John Mason Jeremiah Willhite Reuben Willhite Solomon Willhite Benjamin Willhite